However, the bubble tea fiend still loves his poison very much

A quick scroll through his various social media platforms would yield numerous photos of him enjoying his favourite drink – be it when he’s on or off duty.

“I used to have one cup every day but I stopped because I realised bubble tea doesn’t just make you fat, but it also sags your skin,” he chuckled as he spoke to Toggle over the phone after wrapping filming for his drama, Girlfriend, for the day. “That’s my own observation – it makes your face sag. That’s why I control myself though it’s a little hard.”

His undying love for bubble tea has led him to come up with, shall we say, innovative ways to incorporate his choice of poison in his diet even though he has to maintain his physique.

Lawrence shared, “If I know I’m going to have bubble tea later, I’ll eat a salad for lunch. I make sure that I have enough ‘quota’ for it if I know I’m going to have one. It’s my motivation for the day!”

He’s also got his bubble tea order down to a tee, as he reckons he’s figured out how to maximise his bubble tea-loving nature by minimising the calories – and sinfulness – of each cup.

“I only drink milk tea made with fresh milk. The powders or creamers that some drinks have are super fattening. I won’t add any sugar because the pearls or nata de coco has sugar as well. I used to order drinks with pudding, but I gave it up because it has way too much sugar. My drink of choice: a green tea latte with no sugar, less ice, big pearls and nata de coco.”

This favourite drink of his could also become his signature drink should he open a bubble tea store one day, as his love for the beverage has also seen him do extensive research into the different brands’ stories of the respective stores that he frequents.

“Maybe one day when I retire I’ll open a bubble tea store! I’ll come up with bubble tea that’s healthy yet delicious, because I’ll benefit from it too!” he chirped.

All this bubble tea talk had us wondering how strict he is with his diet and physique, especially since he’s been showing quite a lot of skin recently.

“I’m always on a diet but I’m always having cheat days,” he grinned. “I don’t have a hard and fast method to it, but I usually have two strict days followed by one cheat day. I never weigh myself, but before I shower I check myself out in the mirror and be honest with myself. If I don’t look right, I’ll be more aware of my diet and hit the gym a little harder.”

This chill vibe extends to his health too – though we say we can’t agree with it.

“I’ve had nosebleeds every day for a week, but I think I’m okay. I guess I’m heaty? I don’t have enough sleep and we’re filming every day. We film 14 hours a day on average, and the longest work day was 18 hours of filming non-stop. I’m functioning on five hours of sleep on average,” he mused. “I guess my immune system isn’t great right now.”

While a nosebleed a day sounded like a huge warning sign for him to pay a visit to the doctor immediately, Lawrence shrugged that he simply doesn’t have the time for it.

“You know how you’ll never fall really sick when you’re busy? I wrap filming for Girlfriend at the end of the month, and I guess my body will only let itself fall sick then,” he quipped. “But I’ve been taking supplements regularly and my assistant brews barley water with black or red beans for me to ‘cool’ my body down as well.”

“I try to exercise whenever I can, and I’ve been drinking more water too. I try not to touch my nose too often, but at this point, sheer willpower is probably what powers me on. We need to rush this drama out for broadcast at the end of this year.”